and Dubhain are let in and taken to Sliabhin, who shows them Raghallach, captured and tortured. But a discrete smile from Raghallach reveals to Caith that it is actually Nuallan in disguise. Caith and Dubhain themselves are imprisoned, and Caith bargains away his scruples for help from Dubhain in freeing them and rescuing Brian. Dubhain, as the horse, takes Caith through the locked door and down to a cellar containing Brian locked in a cage, a shackled and disfigured Raghallach/Nuallan, and Sliabhin. The chains holding Raghallach suddenly fall away and Nuallan escapes with Brian, leaving Caith to confront Sliabhin. Caith kills Sliabhin, escapes the dun and is taken by Dubhain back to the Sidhe-wood. In the wood, Caith sees a group of Fair Folk around a sleeping Brian, but they will not let Caith near his brother. Nearby Raghallach sits on his horse, frozen-in-time, and Nuallan puts Brian in Raghallach's arms, letting Raghallach believe that he rescued Brian from Dun Mhor. Nuallan then takes Caith into Faery from where Caith looks down on Dun Gorm and sees an older Brian playing happily. Nuallan offers to take Brian's happiness and give it to Caith, but Caith refuses. Caith is returned to the wood where he is cursed with torment for the rest of his life for committing patricide. Not permitted to return to Dun Gorm or Dun Mhor and with nowhere else to go, the wayward Dubhain appears at his side and offers to be his companion. Caith reluctantly agrees. Characters Humans Cinnfhail – king of Dun Gorm in Gleann Gleatharan; lives in harmony with the nearby forest-Sidhe who have blessed his kingdom Samhadh – Cinnfhail's queen Raghallach – Cinnfhail's son Gaelan – former king of Dun Mhor in nearby Gleann Fiach Sliabhin – Gaelan's younger brother and present king of Dun Mhor after seizing power from Gaelan; is disrespectful of the Sidhe who have damned him for committing fratricide and cursed his kingdom Moralach – Gaelan's queen, later Sliabhin's queen after he seized power Caith – Sliabhin's son by Moralach; exiled soon after birth for his safety to a relative at the distant Dun na nGall; cursed by the Sidhe for committing patricide Brian – Gaelan's son by Moralach, and Caith's younger brother; held captive by Sliabhin at Dun Mhor Sidhe Nuallan – an elf of the Fair Folk, the Bright or Daoine Sidhe Dubhain – a mischievous shapeshifting pooka